News and Media

New Resource Available to Assist Canadian Schools in Responding to the Impact of Sexting Incidents on Youth

October 12, 2012

WINNIPEG, MB: The significant increase in the number of reported cases of
youth creating, sending or sharing sexual images and/or videos with peers
(coined in the media as “sexting” but also referred to as “self/peer
exploitation”) is an increasing social problem. Often missed, however, is the
larger impact such exchanges can have upon the youth involved, as well as
schools, families and the community at large. This includes the consequences of
such images/videos when their distribution is used as a form of bullying.
Acknowledging the challenges schools and families face in responding to
self/peer exploitation, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has created a
new resource guide to assist school personnel with guidelines on how to support
youth involved in these complex incidents as well as their families.

“The consequences of self/peer exploitation are often played out within the
school environment and school personnel are in the best position to respond and
take action,” says Lianna McDonald, Executive Director, Canadian Centre for
Child Protection. “This guide is designed to assist school personnel in
supporting not only the youth whose picture is being distributed, but also the
other youth involved, who sometimes may be distributing the image/video as a
form of bullying.”

The resource guide, titled School and Family Approaches to Intervention and
Prevention: Addressing Self/Peer Exploitation, was created by the Canadian
Centre for Child Protection in consultation with educators, law enforcement
officers, crown prosecutors, child development experts, and psychologists.
Supported by Justice Canada and Bell, the purpose of the resource guide is to
help educate school personnel about the issue of self/peer exploitation and
offer them a structure and framework on how to respond if a self/peer
exploitation incident does occur with students in their school. The resource
guide also discusses how to minimize the circulation of the image/video in
question, as well as how to appropriately respond to the harmful impact these
incidents can have upon the affected youth as well as the school and community
at-large.

“We can no longer ignore the impact self/peer exploitation can have on
youth,” says McDonald. “It’s a serious problem that can have devastating
impacts on families and communities. It is time that we become more aware and
educated about how to respond to these sometimes very complex incidents, as well
as how to properly support and guide youth who may be dealing with its damaging
effects.”

Schools across Canada are encouraged to order a copy of the resource guide,
School and Family Approaches to Intervention and Prevention: Addressing Self/Peer
Exploitation. Click here
to order.

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